BY EBUN SESSOU

Mrs. Risikat Ayinde went to the Oyingbo market to get some food items which her immediate and extended family will use for Sallah celebration. She was optimistic that foodstuffs and other items would be affordable for her family to feel the reason for the season.

Unfortunately, she was disappointed when she discovered that prices for food items, especially the perishable ones have sky rocketed.

Indeed, vegetable and livestock sellers in the market had been complaining of low patronage, in spite of the approach of Sallah celebration which has drastically affected sales of goods in the market.

Monitoring the situation on Thursday, traders attributed the low sales to poor economic condition along with delay in salary payment for workers.

At Ojodu Berger where livestock is sold, Alhaji Saheed Ajumobi, chairman of the Ram Sellers Association, said rams along with other animals were supplied in large quantities from nearby villages and township markets but the patronage is low.

He said prices of animals are higher this year compared to last year Sallah and expressed the hope that patronage would improve few hours to Sallah.

He said the price of rams ranged from N10,000 to N50,000 depending on the size, adding that about 1, 000 rams were being sold at the market daily.

He added that some traders bought the animals in bulk and transported them to other places while some people obtained in bulk also for organisations or onward distribution as gifts.

The chairman urged the local government authority to construct a fence to enhance security in the market and appealed to traders to live in peace and report any suspicious movement to the authority. A cattle seller in Awoyaya, Ibeju-Lekki, Alhaji Sanusi Abdullahi, attributed low sales to the location of the market as it was not situated along a major road.

A vegetable seller, Alhaja Abimbola Yusuf also complained of low patronage, adding that prices of commodities had increased as the Sallah celebration approached.

Reports from other markets visited were the same. The biggest basket of fresh tomatoes sold between N4, 000 and N5, 000 while a bag of fresh pepper was between N7, 000 and N8, 000.

A bag of dried pepper was N9, 000, a bag of dried tomatoes was N6, 000 while a measure of onion and hot pepper sold between N250 and N300 respectively.

Accordingly, livestock sellers in some parts of the North have complained of low patronage, blaming the situation on the prevailing economic meltdown.

The survey showed that prices have remained at N20, 000, N30, 000 and N35, 000 to N40, 000 for small, medium and big sizes.

Goat prices ranged between N8, 000 and N12, 000 depending on their sizes while cows sold for N100, 000, N130, 000 and N150, 000 respectively.

Abdullahi Gambo, a ram seller said he could sell only five out of the 20 rams he brought to the market and had to return the remaining rams to his village in Maigatari. “I am sure it is this economic meltdown that is affecting our business because it was not like this last year,” he said.

Another dealer also told Saturday Vanguard that his sales this year were much lower compared with 2008.

Meanwhile, some Nigerians have attributed the low patronage to the on-going national economic reforms, including government’s proposed plan to remove fuel subsidy amongst other issues.